China's soybean imports up 15% in January-July

BEIJING - China imported 62.3 million tons of soybeans in the first seven months of this year, up 15 percent from a year earlier, customs data showed.

In July alone, the country's soybean imports reached 9.73 million tons, down from 10.27 million tons in June but more than the 7.88 million tons imported in the same month last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

The per-tonne value of the soybean imports increased 1.3 percent year-on-year in the first seven months to 4,334.6 yuan ($605.39).

The country, as the world's largest soybean importer, imported a total of 91.08 million tons of soybeans last year. Imported soybeans are usually crushed into meal for animal feed in China.